Apparatus for applying handles to containers

ABSTRACT

APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING HANDLES ON PAPERBOARD CARTONS OF THE GABLE TOP VARIETY. THE HANDLE HAS A UNITARY LOOP OF MATERIAL TERMINATING, AT ONE END, IN THE MALE ELEMENT OF A SNAP FIT CLOSURE AND, AT THE OTHER END, IN THE FEMALE EYE ELEMENT OF THE CLOSURE. THE MALE ELEMENT HAS A CONICAL SURFACE, A SHOULDER, AN ANNULAR GROOVE AND A CYLINDRICAL STUD BODY. THE APPARATUS PROVIDES THREE OPERATING STATIONS. AT THE FIRST STATION THE GABLE RIDGE IS PUNCHED BY A POWER-DRIVEN MECHANISM. AT THE SECOND STATION, THE MALE MEMBER OF THE FASTENING PORTION OF THE HANDLE IS INSERTED THROUGH THE PUNCHED HOLE. AT THE THIRD STATION, THERE IS PROVIDED A POWER-DRIVEN MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY ESTABLISHING THE SNAP FIT OR LOCK OF THE MALE AND FEMALE FASTENING PORTIONS OF THE HANDLE AND IN A CONTINUING OPERATION HEADING THE PROTRUDING END OF THE MALE PORTION TO PROVIDE A POSITIVE AND PERMANENT LOCK OF THE HANDLE TO THE CARTON.

June 22, 1971 F. R. LINDA EI'AL 3,585,702

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING HANDLES T0 CONTAINERS Original Filed July 3, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 APPARATUS FOR APPLYING HANDLES TO CONTAINERS Original Filed July 5, 1967 F- R. LINDA ETAL June 22, 1971 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 l n l l nmwlfl l lul m n Y I o M. n

June 22, 1971 3,585,702

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING HANDLES TO CONTAINERS Original Filed July 3, 1967 F. R. LINDA E 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 22, 1971 LlNDA ETAL 3,585,702

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING HANDLES 1'0 CONTAINERS Original Filed July 3, 1967 I '6 Sheets-Sheet 4 June 22, 1971 F. R. LINDA ETAL 3,585,702

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING HANDLES T0 com/a ums 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed July 3, 1967 APPARATUS FOR APPLYING HANDLES T0 CONTAINERS Original Filed July 5, 1967 June 22, 1971 UNDA ETAL 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 United States Patent once 3,585,702 APPARATUS FOR APPLYING HANDLES T CONTAINERS Frank R. Linda, Fairfield, Conn., and Leigh D. Leiter,

Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to International Paper Company, New York, N.Y.

Application July 3, 1967, Ser. No. 650,989, now Patent No. 3,484,515, dated Dec. 16, 1969, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 565,045, July 6, 1966, now Patent No. 3,373,924, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of abandoned application Ser. No. 521,362, Jan. 18, 1966. Divided and this application May 26, 1969, Ser. No. 840,891

Int. Cl. B23p 19/04, 11/02, 11/00 US. Cl. 29-208 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for installing handles on paperboard cartons of the gable top variety. The handle has a unitary loop of material terminating, at one end, in the male element of a snap fit closure and, at the other end, in the female eye element of the closure. The male element has a conical surface, a shoulder, an annular groove and a cylindrical stud body. The apparatus provides three operating stations. At the first station the gable ridge is punched by a power-driven mechanism. At the second station, the male member of the fastening portion of the handle is inserted through the punched hole. At the third station, there is provided a power-driven mechanism for automatically establishing the snap fit or lock of the male and female fastening portions of the handle and in a continuing operation heading the protruding end of the male portion to provide a positive and permanent lock of the handle to the carton.

RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a division of application Ser. No. 650,989 filed July 3, 1967, now Patent No. 3,484,515, and in part discloses and claims subject matter disclosed and claimed in our earlier filed copending application Ser. No. 565,045, now Patent No. 3,373,924, filed July 6, 1966, which application in turn in part discloses and claims subject matter disclosed and claimed in our earlier filed application Ser. No. 521,362, filed Jan. 18, 1966, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to apparatus for attaching handles to containers, particularly to gable top paperboard containers of the type used for merchandising and carrying milk or other heavy fluids.

In the aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 565,045, now Patent No. 3,373,924, there is disclosed and claimed a type of plastic handle readily adapted for application to large paperboard containers of the type widely used for merchandising milk in half-gallon or gallon quantities. Very generally speaking, the handles of that application are designed and constructed to be attached to the containers by the use of mating male and female members. In the detached conditions such members are in loose contact. When attached to the container, the male member is inserted through a punched hole in the gable ridge of the container and mates on the opposite side of the ridge with the female member. In order to avoid leakage, it is important that the fit between the male member and the punched hole be an interference or press fit. The two members are so shaped and proportioned that there is obtained a snap lock between them. However, in order to provide a more permanent attach- 3,585,702 Patented June 22,, 1971 ment of the handle, it is desirable to obtain a secondary locking of the members. This is readily achieved by heading or setting the protruding portion of the male member in a manner analogous to the riveting process for metal elements.

The complete method of attaching the handles requires four distinct steps and in general, when the process is mechanized, there are required three or four operating stations with easy transportation of the containers from [station to station, since it is usual to fill the containers before applying the handles thereto. First, it is necessary to perforate the gable ridge of the container .to receive the male member or stud of the handle; second, the stud of the handle must be inserted through the perforation; third, the female member must be pressed over the stud to establish the snap lock; and fourth, the protruding end portion of the stud must be headed to form a permanent lock. The second step may be divided into two sequential parts, first inserting the stud into the perforation and then forcing the stud completely through the gable ridge.

It is a further object of the invention to accomplish both the punching of the container and the locking together of the attaching portions of the handle by powerdriven mechanism.

A still further object of the invention is to establish both the snap lock of the attaching male and female mem bers of the handle and heading of the protruding male member in a continuous power-driven operation.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the gable ridge of the filled container is perforated by a power punch, provided with a chute and container for collecting the punchings. This latter feature is particularly desirable where the fluid being handled is milk, since the standards for dairy operation, including legal requirements, demand neat and sanitary conditions. The second station in which the handles are manually applied to the containers is provided with a magazine of the turret type for holding a supply of handles so that they can be rapidly and readily placed in position on the container for the ultimate fastening thereto. At the final station, the powerdriven mechanism brings the male and female members into snap lock relationship and in a continuous motion, permitted by a resilient connection between the snap lock tool and the heading tool, forms the final head of the protruding stud of the male attaching portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING These and other objects and features of the invention may be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description of one illustrative embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawing in which:

FIG. '1 is a perspective view of a complete machine comprising an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view to an enlarged scale of a typical handle applied by the machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the machine of FIG. 1, with the containers and handles shown in phantom by dotted lines.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view to an enlarged scale taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a partial side elevational view to an enlarged scale taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a plan view corresponding to the elevational view of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view taken along the line 77 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view taken along the line 88 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view to a greatly enlarged scale of the fastening and heading tool of the heading station shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and *8; and

FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views showing the fastening and heading tool in various positions during its operation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 3, the handle attaching machine of the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises three stations, namely, a punching station 20, a handle application station 21, and a heading station 22. The mechanism for these three stations is supported on a framework comprising in general two end A-frame members 23 and 24, interconnected by a top mounting plate 25. Bottom framing is provided by angle irons 136 and 137 welded to the members 23 and 24 respectively, and a steel bar 26 welded to the angle irons 136 and 137. Legs 27 carried by the angle irons 136 and 137 support the entire machine from the floors. Cross braces may be provided for stability.

Brackets 28 and 29 secured to the A-frame members 23 and 24 carry a track for supporting and transporting the containers such as 30. This track comprises supporting or slide rails 33 and 34 and guide rails 35 and 36.

The supporting rails 33 and 34 are provided with wear strips 36a and 37 to prevent abrasion of the containers as they pass thereover. Nylon or similar material may be used for these strips. The material sold under the trade name Polypenco Nylatron obtainable from the Polymer Corporation of Reading, Pa., has been found quite satisfactory for this purpose. The guide rails 35 and 36 are also provided with facings 38 and 39' of similar material for the same purpose. Facings 38 and 39 may extend over the edges of the guide rails.

Following the heading station there is provided a turntable 135. The surface of this table is at the level of the supporting rails 33 and 34 so that the finished containers can be readily received thereon.

The punching station is provided with an air motor 40 of the pneumatic piston-driven type for driving the punch. As shown in more detail in FIG. 4, this motor and its driven mechanism are pivotally supported at the rear by two brackets 41. In order to maintain the punching mechanism in a normally non-operative position, there is provided a spring balance arm 42 attached at its front end to the motor 40 and supported in the rear by the spring 43 from a bracket 44- attached to the main frame. The spring maintains the punching mechanism normally in an upper position as shown in FIG. 1, and it is brought to the operating or punching position as shown in FIG. 4 by pulling down on a knob-like handle 45.

The construction of the punching mechanism can probably be best understood by reference to FIGS. 4 and 7 in which it is shown in larger scale than in the overall assembly drawings of FIGS. 1 and 3. A yoke 46 is secured to the head of the air motor 40 by a nut 47. The left hand arm of the yoke 46 is provided with a notch 48 which fits over the gable ridge of the container when the mechanism is in the lowered position as shown in FIG. 4. Contact between the top of slot 48 and the top of the gable ridge serves to position the yoke 46 relative to the top of the gable ridge.

The actual punching is performed by a punch pin 49 which is secured in a hole in the piston rod 50 of the air motor by means of set screws 51. This pin rides in a bushing 52 mounted in the left hand arm of the yoke 46 and after piercing the gable ridge of the container engages a die block 53 also carried by the left hand arm of the yoke 46.

A spout 54 attached to the face of the left hand arm of the yoke 46 and having its opening aligned with the hole in the die block 53 provides a guide for discharging the punchings into a container 55 shown in FIG. 1. The use of this spout and container is most desirable if not necessary where the containers are used for dispensing milk. In such a case the machine will be used in a dairy 4 where the sanitary standards would not permit the punchings to be scattered on the, floor.

The actuating handle 45 is attached to the yoke 46 by means of a rod 56. Guide brackets 57 and 58 (FIGS. 1 and 7) attached to the yoke 46 are so dimensioned as to position the container with respect to the punch mechanism so that the hole will always be at the proper position in the gable ridge. Bracket 57 preferably acts as a spring to push the container against bracket 58 which aflfords a positive location. It is desirable that the positive location of the container be achieved relative to the gable ridge end adjacent the handle attachment location. In this way the handle will not be mislocated if, as sometimes happens, the gable panels are offset from each other.

As shown in FIG. 1, the handles are attached adjacent the left sides of the containers. If the handles were attached adjacent the right sides in this embodiment of the invention, a single positive container locating stop at the right end of the container would afford adequate container locating.

The operation of the air motor is achieved through the use of a microswitch 59 mounted on the top of the yoke 46 by means of a bracket 60. The microswitch is connected through a cable 61 to a mechanism generally designated 62 and which may include a timing device and a solenoid operated air valve which controls the supply of compressed air to the air motor 40. The microswitch is operated by a switch pin 63 carried in a hole through the yoke 46. Normally, the switch pin 63 is retracted by spring 64 but when the mechanism is brought into the operating position the lower end of the switch pin 63 engages the gable ridge of the container and is pushed upward to operate the microswitch to its closed position. This is illustrated in the operating position of the mechanism shown in FIG. 4. As shown in this figure while the microswitch has been operated the air motor 40 has not yet functioned to advance its piston rod 50 and the punch pin 49. It is desirable that the microswitch 59 operate a non-recycling timer whch in turn will operate the solenoid operated air valve a short time after the microswitch has been operated. This time delay, which may be of the order of A to /2 second, insures that the air valve will not be actuated before the yoke is fully down on the gable ridge. The air cylinder is released and the punch pin 49 is retracted by the timer after the hole had been punched in the gable ridge. Typically the forward extension and retraction of the piston rod 50 and punch pin 49 will require about /2 second.

As shown particularly in FIG. 3 the air motor 40 and an additional motor for the heading station to be later described require air conduits, pressure regulating valves, gauges and the like. While these are illustrated, particularly in FIG. 3, they are conventional and will not be described.

The second or handle application station of the machine comprises a turret-like magazine having a plurality of radial arms 71 on which the handles may be readily hung for application to the containers. The mechanism 70 is rotatable so that the handles may be applied to the hanger 71 from the rear of the machine and readily rotated to the operating position by the operator in front of the machine. For efficient operation all handles on the magazine should be oriented identically.

The preferred type of handle which the machine illustrated is designed to install as shown in perspective FIG. 2 is that described and claimed in the aforementioned copending application, Ser. No. 565,045, now Pat. No. 3,373,924.

Briefly, the handle is of a five-sided or pentagonal loop shape with a substantially horizontal hand grip side 81 joined at its extremities with two perpendicular sides 82 and 83. These in turn are joined respectively to two inward sloping sides 84 and 85. The sloping sides 84 and 85 terminate in respective tabs 86 and 87. The male tab 87 is provided with a stud 88 which engages a hole 89 in the female tab 86.

As is shown more clearly in the enlarged view of FIG. 9, the stud 88 comprises at its extremity a pilot portion 90 which should be tapered and is preferably conical in shape. The base of the pilot portion 90 is an annular shoulder 90' whose diameter is approximately equal to or slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole punched in the gable ridge to afford a slip fit. For example, if the punched hole had a diameter of 0.193" (which with manufacturing tolerances might be from 0.1928 to 0.1931"), the annular shoulder 90' might have a diameter, with manufacturing tolerances, lying in the range of 0.188 to 0.193". Thus the pilot portion 90 and shoulder 90' can relatively easily be pushed through the hole punched in the gable ridge. This permits pilot portion 90 to engage hole 89 in female tab 86 so that hole 89 will be aligned with a cylindrical intermediate portion 91 of stud 88. The portion 91 is formed as an annular groove in stud 88 and has a diameter substantially equal to that of hole 89. Inwardly of the annular groove 91 the stud 88 has a cylindrical body portion 92 which projects integrally from tab 87. The body portion 92 has a diameter substantially greater than that of the punched hole in the gable ridge so that a substantial force is necessary to push the body portion 92 through the punched hole. Typically the body portion 92 of stud 88 may have a diameter about .005" to .010 greater than the punched hole diameter.

It is desired that there be an interference or press fit between the body portion 92 of stud 88 and the punched hole in the gable ridge to avoid leakage from the container. With the polyethylene coated paperboard materials usually employed in making gable top milk containers of the gallon size, this construction (with the dimensions referred to) will require a force of the order of 80 pounds to force the stud body portion 92 through the hole in the gable ridge.

As shown in FIG. 9, the hole 89 in female tab 86 is provided with a recess 93 into which annular shoulder 90' fits when the tabs 86 and 87 are brought into interlocking relation.

The handle '80 is so shaped and proportioned that the closure tabs 86 and 87 are urged into contact with each other. This has certain advantages particularly the avoidance of interlocking between different handles thus making them much easier to manipulate. The use of the conical shaped termination for the stud 88 not only contributes to the snap locking feature but also has an additional advantage. This is the fact that while the tabs are normally urged into contact with each other, the stud 88 is only partially inserted in the female tab 86. Consequently, they can be very readily separated for the insertion of the stud 88 through the hole in the gable ridge of the container. A minimum of manipulation and a very small force are required to snap the stud 88 through the hole.

After a handle such as 80 has been inserted in the punched hole in the gable ridge the container carrying such handle is advanced to the heading position.

The overall mechanism of the heading position is quite similar to that of the punching station with the obvious exception of the tooling elements.

Thus, referring particularly to FIGS. 5, 6 and 8, there is provided an air motor 100 for operation of the mechanism. This is pivotally supported at its rear by brackets 101 and 102 carried by the top plate 25 of the general assembly. The arms 103 and 104 of the air motor have axial terminations which engage bearings in the brackets 100 and 102. This is similar to the support for the motor 40-.

A spring balance 105 attached at its upper end to the frame of the air motor 100 holds the entire mechanism in its normal upper position by the action of the spring 106. This position of the mechanism is illustrated in FIG. 1. In FIGS. 5, 6 and 8 the mechanism has been brought into the operating position by pressure applied to the handle I107 by the operator.

A double yoke 108 is mounted on the face of the air motor by means of a nut 109. The tool mechanism 110 which will be later described in more detail with reference to FIG. 9 is attached to and carried by the piston rod 111 of the air motor. The outer cylindrical member of this tool 110 rides in a bushing 131 carried by the central arm of the double yoke '108. A stud setting socket button 112 is carried by the left hand arm of the double yoke 108. This acts as an anvil in the locking and heading operation. The knob 107 is secured to the yoke 108 by the rod 113.

In a manner similar to the control of the punching mechanism the control of the air motor 110 is effected by a microswitch 114 which is supported from the yoke 108 by a bracket 115. A switch actuating pin 116 having an enlarged head portion 117 which engages the top of the gable ridge actuates the micro switch 114 when the mechanism is moved into the operating position in which it is shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 8. In the normal upper position of the mechanism the actuating pin is held in a non-operating position by the spring 118. Movement of the actuating pin is confined by a locking pin 119 inserted through a hole in the left hand arm of the yoke 108 and having its inner end riding in a slot in the head 117 of the actuating pin 116.

The microswitch is connected through a cable 120 to a non-recycling timer and solenoid operated air valve mechanism 121 which controls the application of compressed air to the motor 100 in essentially the same manner as in the punching operation described above. However it is desirable to have a time delay in release of the compressed air of about 3 seconds. This holding time provides better cold heading. The operator does not need to hold the head down because the head will be held down by the weight of the container until the air is released and retraction of the tool mechanism 110 frees the container.

At the heading station there are provided guide brackets 77 and 78 for positioning the container with respect to the heading mechanism. The brackets 77 and 78 function in the same way as is described above with respect to brackets 57 and 58, Similarly, contact between the yoke and the top of the gable ridge serves to afford proper vertical positioning of the yoke 108.

As indicated above, the tool portion of the mechanism of the heading station is best illustrated in enlarged view of FIG. 9. A heading pin 122 is supported in a hole 132 in the piston rod 111 of the motor 100 being secured therein by set screws. Surrounding the heading pin is a series of spring washers 123. These may for example be Belleville spring washers of the type manufactured by the Associated Spring Corporation. Instead of using spring washers a helical spring or similar resilient coupling may be used. Riding on the end of the heading pin 122 there is a cylindrical snap look sleeve 124. The sleeve 124 and the spring washers 123 are held in assembled relation on the pin 122 by a retaining sleeve 125. A set screw (not shown) may be provided to prevent sleeve 125 from rotating with respect to piston rod 111. Threads are formed on the inside of the right hand end of the retaining sleeve 125 and on the end of the piston rod 111 for holding the two members in secured relationship. The sleeve 124 has an enlarged or shoulder portion 126 which rides on the inside of the retaining sleeve 125 and is held therein by the internal flange 133 at the end of sleeve 125.

The anvil 112 which is recessed to receive the male tab 87 also has a cut out portion 129 to provide clearance for arm 85 of the handle. The left hand end of the heading pin 122 is shaped for piloting and forming the end of the stud 90 in the cold heading operation as indicated by the lines 130 and shown in FIGS. 912. A

dimple in the end of heading pin 122 serves to hold the piloting tip of the stud in axial alignment during cold heading.

In FIG. the piston rod 111 has been advanced to the position in which the snap locking operation is just beginning. The sleeve 124 has come into contact with the female tab 86, and male tab 87 has just been seated in anvil 112 via slight shifting of the container to the left.

In FIG. 11 the piston rod has further advanced to the position in which the snap lock has been completed, the body portion 92 has been passed through the hole punched in the gable ridge, and simultaneously, the female tab 86 has been forced over the conical portion 90, and snap locked on the small diameter neck portion 91. In this position the heading pin 122 is just coming into contact with the piloting tip of the conical portion 90 of the stud 88.

In FIG. 12, the piston rod has completed its travel and the conical end 90' of the stud has been upset to produce a locking cap 130, whose radial expansion has been limited by the inside cylindrical wall of sleeve 124. Thus there is produced a second positive lock between the two members of the handle similar to a riveting operation where metallic members are concerned. It will be noted that as the heading pin 122 is advanced to this final position the locking sleeve 124 is forced rearward within the retaining sleeve 125 against the pressure of the springs 123 as illustrated. For proper cold heading it is important that the stud 88 be held in axial alignment as the piston rod advances and the piloting end of the stud is deformed. For this purpose the recess in the end of heading pin 122 should be shaped and proportioned, as with the dimple shown, to hold the piloting tip of the conical portion of the stud and prevent the latter from being moved out of axial alignment with the balance of the stud.

While the apparatus described is highly desirable for attaching the handle to the container, this operation can be performed manually with the assistance of simple tools. Likewise the operation can be performed with other forms of apparatus, e.g., more sophisticated automatic machinery.

In a manual operation, a hole of the proper diameter would first be punched in the gable ridge. As a second step, the handle would then be positioned above the gable ridge and the piloting end of the stud would be inserted through the punched hole and the eye of the female end of the handle would be mated with the pilot ing end of the stud. The third step would involve forcing the body portion of the stud through the punched hole in the gable ridge to achieve an interfence fit. A fourth step, which preferably would be conducted simultaneously with the third step, would be to snap the eye ring of the female end over the annular shoulder and into engagement with the annular groove to provide a snap fit. Finally the conical portion of the stud would be cold headed while the piloting tip was held in axial alignment with the balance of the stud.

The terms and expressions that have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions to exclude any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for assembling handles on gable top containers in which the handle comprises a closure structure having a male member adapted to be inserted through a hole in the gable ridge of the container and a female member on the opposite side of the gable ridge and so shaped and proportioned as to form a snap lock with said male member, said machine comprising a punching station including a power operated punch arranged to be brought into operating position with respect to the gable ridge of the container and having a positioning stop for locating the container with respect to the punch and a trigger operated by contact with the gable ridge and causing the advance of the punch; a rack for holding a supply of handles in convenient position for insertion of the male member into the punched hole of the gable ridge; and a heading station including a power operated header arranged to be brought into operating position with respect to a container handle having its male member inserted in the hole in the gable ridge and its female member positioned on its male member resiliently driven in advance of the head of said the gable ridge to supply power to forcibly press the male member through the hole in the gable ridge and simultaneously bring the female member of the handle into snap fit with the male member and subsequently controllably deform the protruding end of the male member to form a locking cap over the female member.

2. A machine according to claim 1 in which said power operated punch comprises a punch rod, a die block with an opening aligned with said punch rod, and a hollow cylindrical chute for receiving the punchings and having its opening aligned with the opening in said die block.

3. A machine according to claim 1 in which said power operated header comprises a die member rigidly driven to perform the deforming action and a snap locking member resilinetly driven in advance of the head of said die member to perform the snap locking action.

4. A machine according to claim 1 in which said power operated header comprises a power driven piston rod, a hollow retaining sleeve fixedly attached to said piston rod at one end and having an internal flange formed at the other end, a cylindrical heading tool fixedly attached to said piston rod and mounted concentrically inside said retaining sleeve with its operating end protruding therefrom, a hollow fastening sleeve of internal diameter suitable for riding on said heading tool and having a shoulder portion of external diameter suitable for riding in the inner surface of said retaining sleeve while being restricted in its motion by said internal flange, said fastening sleeve being of such length that in its extended position with the shoulder against said internal flange the operating end extends beyond the operating end of said heading tool, and resilient means for normally holding said fastening sleeve in such extended position.

5. A machine for attaching to the gable ridge of gable top paperboard cotainers handles of molded plastic material in the form of open loops so shaped and proportioned that the ends of the loop are urged into contact with each other, one end being formed as a male member having a base section of diameter suitable to fit a hole in the gable ridge, a cone shaped terminating end the diameter of the base of the cone being of the same order as the diameter of said base section, and an intermediate section of diameter less than the diameter of the base of the cone and the base section, the other end of the loop being formed as a female member having an opening of diameter equal to the diameter of the intermediate section of the male member, said machine comprising a supporting track for the containers;

a power driven punching mechanism comprising an operating head and being pivotally mounted so that said head is normally higher than the gable ridge of a container on said track, means for lowering said punching mechanism to a position where said operating 'head is in engagement with the gable ridge of a container on said track, and means actuated on contact with the gable ridge for causing the action of the punching mechanism, the operating head comprising a punch rod operated by the power drive, a punch die block having an opening for receiving the end of said rod after it has penetrated the gable ridge, a discharge chute for the punchings, said chute having an opening therein aligned with the opening in said die block to receive the punchings, and guide means for positioning a container with respect to the punch rod; a turret-like rack having a plurality of radial arms for supporting handles to be applied to the containers; and

a power driven fastening and heading mechanism comprising an operating head and being pivotally mounted so that said operating head is normally higher than the gable ridge of the container on said track, and means for lowering said last mentioned operating head into juxtaposition with respect to a handle having its male member inserted in the hole of said gable ridge of a container on said track and its female member positioned over its male member, the operating head of the fastening and heading mechanism comprising a heading die positively driven by the power mechanism, a fastening sleeve having an operating end for-med to contact the female member of the handle, means for resiliently driving said fastening sleeve so that said operating end engages the female member of the handle in advance of the engagement of the male member by said heading die, and guiding means for aligning a container with an inserted handle with the operating head of said fastening and heading mechanism.

6. A machine for interlocking the female and male members of the closure structure of a container handle comprising an anvil for supporting the base of said male member, an operating head, operating means for forcibly moving said operating head with respect to said anvil, said operating head comprising a heading die member fixably driving by said operating means, a hollow cylindrical element surrounding said die member and adapted to engage said female member to force said female and male members into snap engagement, and means for resiliently interconnecting said heading die member and said hollow cylindrical member to drive said 'hollow cylindrical member in advance of said heading die member.

7. A machine according to claim 6 in which said means for resiliently interconnecting said die member and said hollow cylindrical member comprises a second hollow cylindrical member, surrounding said first hollow cylindrical member and mounted for rigid movement with respect to said heading member, and resilient means for supporting said first hollow cylindrical member within said second hollow cylindrical member.

8. A machine for securing to containers handles having a closure structure comprising a male element adapted to pass through an opening in the container and a female element adapted to fit over the protruding end of the male element to form a snap fit therewith, the male element having a projecting portion suitable for being controllably deformed to produce a locking cap to prevent withdrawal from said female member, the machine comprising an anvil member for supporting the base of said male element, a double cylindrical element, and means for forcibly driving said double cylindrical element against said female element and against the protruding end of said male element, said double cylindrical element comprising an outer cylindrical member adapted to engage said female member to urge it into snap fit engagement with said male member, an inner cylindrical member adapted for deforming the end of said male member, and a resilient driving connection between said inner and outer cylindrical members.

9. A machine according to claim 8 in which said resilient driving connection comprises a retaining sleeve surrounding said double cylindrical element and driven in fixed relation to said inner cylindrical element, and resilient means carried within said retaining sleeve for normally driving said outer cylindrical element in advance of said inner cylindrical element.

10. A machine for attaching handles to the gable ridge of containers of the gable top type by means of attaching ends formed as male and female members, the male member having a base section of diameter larger than the diameter of a hole in the gable ridge, a cone-like terminating end, the diameter of the base of the cone being smaller than the diameter of said base section, and an intermediate section of diameter less than the diameter of the base of the cone, and the female member having an opening of diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said intermediate section, said machine comprising a driven piston motor, a rod having a heading die formed on one end and having the other end fixedly attached to the piston rod of said motor, a retaining sleeve fixedly attached to the end of said piston rod, a hollow cylindrical fastening member of internal diameter adapted to ride on said heading rod and having a shoulder portion of diameter for riding within said retaining sleeve, and a protruding portion with the end formed to contact the female member of the handle, and resilient means interposed between the end of the fastening member and said piston rod for normally maintaining said fastening member at an extreme position within said retaining sleeve, an anvil for engaging the base of said male member, and means for actuating said piston drive motor to cause the forward end of said fastening sleeve member to engage the female member and force it over the cone-like terminating end of the male member to snap engage the intermediate section of the male member within the opening in said female member and to further advance the heading rod to head the protruding end of said male member over the female member while permitting the fastening sleeve to assume a retarded position permitted by said resilient means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,373,476 3/1968 Lombardo et a1 29-208 THOMAS H. EAGER, Primary Examiner U.S. CL. X.R. 29-243.54, 453

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Patent No.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Inventor(s) Frank R. Linda et al.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

line 44, "had" should read has line 51, "interfence" should read interference line 12, delete "resiliently driven in advance of the head of said" and insert and having a trigger operated by contact with line 28, "resilinetly" should read resiliently line 48, "cotainers" should read containers line 32, "driving" should read driven 10, line 40, "drive" should read driving Signed and sealed (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. Attesting Officer this 16th day of November 1971 ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Acting Commissioner of Patents F ORM PO-1D5O (10-69] USCOMM-DC 50376-5 69 Q u s GDVERNMENI Pumvmo nnlu' I969 v nt-J34 

